台灣選舉快報

Taiwan Nationalist concedes defeat, congratulates Tsai Ing-wen as President

 

 

By Katie Hunt and Kristie Lu Stout, CNN

Updated 8:49 AM ET, Sat January 16, 2016 | Video Source: CNN-國民黨承認敗選，恭喜蔡英文當選

Taipei (CNN)Taiwan appears to have its first female President, in a landmark election that could unsettle relations with Beijing.

Eric Chu, the Nationalist Party candidate in Taiwan's presidential election conceded defeat late Saturday and congratulated rival Tsai Ing-wen to her victory as the country's new President, state-run Central News Agency reported.

Her supporters filled streets, waving party banners and cheering to victory announcements made from a stage.

Official election results have not yet been announced.

Voters lined up Saturday at polling stations, and when they closed, surveys suggested that Tsai Ing-wen, leader of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), would win the presidential vote by a significant margin after eight years under the government of the pro-China Kuomintang (KMT) or Nationalist Party.

The ruling party was also in danger of losing control of the legislature for the first time in parliamentary elections, with a record 556 candidates in the race for 113 seats.

01/16/2016